Liberty Students’ Winter Break Highlights
As the first semester came to an end, students at Liberty High School eagerly welcomed winter break as a chance to relax, spend time with loved ones, and take a break from the busy school schedule. After weeks of finals, homework, and extracurricular activities, the two-week vacation offered students the opportunity to recharge before returning for the second semester. From traveling with family to enjoying simple moments at home, Liberty High students created lasting memories over the holiday season.
Sophomore Miles Hughes said his winter break was an easy “10 out of 10” because of how much time he spent with friends and enjoying the freedom of not having a strict schedule. “I was just with a bunch of friends,” Hughes said. “We didn’t really plan anything — we just played group games and hung out.” Instead of making detailed plans, Hughes and his friends preferred to spend their time together casually, enjoying each other’s company and finding activities to do in the moment.
When asked what he spent most of his time doing during break, Hughes laughed and admitted that video games were a big part of his vacation. “Probably GTA with friends,” he said.
Gaming gave Hughes a way to stay connected with friends even when they were not able to meet in person. However, his favorite memory from winter break came on Christmas morning when he received a surprise gift from his grandmother. “When my grandma got me a $200 cologne and $100 cash — that was my favorite,” Hughes said. “I’ve been wanting that cologne since it came out.” For Hughes, the gift was meaningful not only because of its value, but because it showed that his grandmother remembered something he had been hoping for.
Junior Hudson Payne also had an eventful winter break filled with travel, family celebrations, and outdoor activities. Payne rated his break an eight out of ten, saying that many of the experiences he had made the time off enjoyable. “My cousins came up from Albuquerque and won a hockey championship, and then I went down to Albuquerque to celebrate with them,” Payne said.
One of Payne’s favorite moments from winter break was going snowboarding in Breckenridge with his dad. “Snowboarding was probably my most enjoyable experience,” Payne said.
Spending time on the slopes allowed him to enjoy the winter weather while bonding with his father. For Payne, the combination of family time, travel, and outdoor adventure made winter break both exciting and memorable.
Sophomore Zach Hoggle described his winter break as an “eight out of ten” and said that being able to reconnect with family members made the experience especially meaningful. “It was really fun. I got to spend time with my family, and we even went down to Florida,” Hoggle said. Traveling gave him the chance to relax and escape the cold winter weather, while still staying close to the people who mattered most to him.
Hoggle’s favorite moment from the break happened on Christmas Day, when his entire family gathered around the tree. “My family was around the tree, and we all got to spend time together and open gifts,” he said.
Hoggle explained that the moment was special because it had been several years since he had seen some of his relatives. “It’s been a couple years since I’ve seen them,” he said, making the reunion even more meaningful.
Although each student spent winter break in a different way, a common theme connected their experiences: time with family and friends mattered most. Whether students were gaming with friends, celebrating family victories, snowboarding in the mountains, or opening presents around the Christmas tree, winter break gave Liberty High students the chance to slow down and enjoy meaningful moments outside of school.
As students return to Liberty High and begin the second semester, many are carrying those memories with them as motivation to finish the school year strong. Winter break may be short, but for many Liberty High students, the experiences and connections made during the holiday season will last much longer.
